


The Hill of The Ashen Lilies

by DumbassPotato



Category: Bayonetta (Video Games), Devil May Cry
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Explicit Language, Fanart, Gen, Gen Work, fic with art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22759525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DumbassPotato/pseuds/DumbassPotato
Summary: [Post DMC5 and Bayonetta 2]A long time ago, a lonely hill was the stage where a witch was mercilessly executed and, in her dying breath, she set the land on fire. From the ashes, magical flowers began bloomed to mourn the tragedy.Today, the same hill is the stage where a young devil hunter investigates the disappearance of a woman, and an Umbra Witch follows the rumors of the existence of a slumbering witch.
Relationships: Bayonetta (Bayonetta) & Nero (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So while writing my other [fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594250/chapters/51488569), I realized that my descriptions suck and the story dragged a little, so I decided to try something different and put a couple of crappy drawings in the middle to see if it can help.
> 
> Anyway it's more of a writing and drawing exercise, and the story is a simple crossover, where I don't think too much about how the franchises' lore clash. It's like a filler episode.

The warm Spring breeze was almost comforting if the bright sun wasn't so distracting, blinding Nero with the light reflected from the pale stairs and the vivid grass on the side of the hill. Impatient and hungry, he just wanted to rush to the top as fast as he could, but the old priest, his client, was slowly dragging himself up while mumbling the story of his life.

"Ah, excuse me... I am not used with the exercise even though I live at the chapel. You see, I don't walk all the way down anymore, the town's getting bigger, and all that noise isn't healthy for my poor old heart." He managed to say while wheezing for air. It was the fifth time he told the young man that part of the tale.

Nero zoned out, fidgeting the heavy aluminum case that concealed Red Queen. He didn't like hiding his weapons or pretending to blend in the crowd, but at least he convinced the clients that a disguise wasn't necessary. The hunter was instructed to be absolutely discreet, despite the priest's insistence to call him the "hunter from the Redgrave incident" out loud, fearing that a devil hunter armed to the teeth in a place known for its supernatural phenomenon would scare the tourists away, a week from their big festival.

While the old man made another snide comment about the youth, Nero mentally recapped the story. Ages ago, a witch was horribly executed on the hill and, in one last act of revenge, she burned the whole place along with her body. Centuries later, the top of the same hill bloomed with unique lilies that glowed like embers, then faded into ashes a week later. The event happened every year, after the last snowflake melted and the first leaf was born.

Such unique sight turned the hill into a touristic spot, and the locals decided to do an annual festival just when the lilies started to bloom. This year the woman that was invited to sing during the event mysteriously disappeared two days ago, during a visit to the chapel. The authorities, a superstitious bunch, panicked immediately, speculating the ghost of the witch kidnapped her in an act of revenge, and had to move fast and hire the hunter before the woman's absence was noticed.

Nero didn't believe in that theory, and he didn't like the clients' attitude, but it was a slow month and the payment was rewarding. On top of that, regardless of his feelings, there was a woman in danger and he couldn't just ignore it.

After wasting an hour following the priest, he finally reached the top of the stairs. There few rustic houses at the entrance were heavily decorated, complete with a small medieval fair and actors playing knights and witches. Even though the main event was a week away, tourists were already crowding the location, buying gifts and taking pictures.

Around the busy scenario, shallow woods and smooth grass covered the hill, where the famous lilies would bloom. The farthest building was the chapel, an old and small structure built with stones and wooden pillars, used mainly as a touristic spot nowadays.

Since the priest wanted to stop by every single booth in the fair, Nero decided to ignore him and go to the chapel already, carefully avoiding the crowd. Unfortunately his sword case kept bumping into every surface it could find, and eventually he heard a small squeak after hitting something soft.

A little girl just turned a corner and went head first into the hunter. She looked exhausted with bright reddened eyes, almost in tears. Nero had no choice but to stop in his track and kneel down, offering a hand.

"Sorry miss! Do you need any help?" He chirped, knowing from experience that she had more problems than a simple bump.

"My dog!" She cried with small hiccups. "He got scared by the witches and ran to the chapel!"

Nero nodded. "Gotcha, you can wait here and I'll fetch the puppy for you." At least it was an excuse to go ahead, in case the priest complained about him again.

The girl shook her head. "No! I have to go too! He doesn't like anyone but me!"

"What about your parents-"

"My brother brought us here, but he's too busy kissing his girlfriend!" She pouted, looking at Nero like he owned her something.

"Oh." The hunter neither couldn't verify that claim, nor he wanted to ask about that. He simply nodded and agreed to take her to the chapel.

Pleased, the girl grabbed his hand and dragged him along, conveniently forgetting about her tears. Nero could only sigh in protest, but ultimately didn't mind a side quest.

"By the way, what's the dog's name?"

"His name's Goliath!"

"Ah..."

* * *

The inside of the chapel was deceptively big and well preserved. Near the entrance there was a large painting proudly displayed to visitors, a gift commissioned to celebrate the building's survival when the witch burned the hill.

Bayonetta elegantly clacked her heavy heels on the stone floor, approaching the art proudly displayed in front o her. It depicted a woman tied to a pole, turning into a demon and burning with rage, while white robed knights shielded themselves and the chapel from the attack. Angelic figures floated above the incident, apparently dancing at the scene.

"Such a tacky painting!" She scoffed, running her fingers on the little metallic plaque describing the painting. "But I guess it fits a place like this."

She looked around the room, bored out of her mind. It was dry and dusty, but there were a couple of fancy decorations from the Inquisition era, like a broken golden sword on the wall and a fan made with feathers used by Lumen Sages. The witch was tempted to give a little renovation to mock the place, but she knew it wasn't worth her time. Before turning away she gave a gave a small, sympathetic look to the burning witch, barely discernible between broad red strokes.

"Besides, that's your honor, isn't it? If you really are here..."

There wasn't much to do in the area, and she didn't have enough evidence to credit simple rumors, but there was still a sliver of hope that the witch was alive. Apparently, a couple of days ago some lesser demons scavenging the region were severely injured near the chapel, and claimed a witch tortured them with a furious inferno.

Of course, no one believed in the story. Then other accidents happened. A tree spontaneously caught on fire, candles suddenly exploding and cars inexplicably overheating. Nothing too impressive for a child with a lighter or an Umbra Witch, though enough to make Bayonetta to give a little tour around and maybe watch the mysterious lilies bloom.

Distracted in her own world, the witch barely noticed the big puffy dog, a Leonberger, prancing near her. Then a young man intercepted him with a little girl, who ignored his instructions to leash the pet and looked at the painting.

"What is this?" She asked the man.

"Uh, it's a painting." He joked, casually lifting the large animal and nestling in his arms.

" _No!_ " She huffed. "I know it's a painting! I'm asking what it's about"

The young man looked distracted at the art, not hiding the lack of interest in his eyes. "It's just an old painting of a... Burning woman, with some dudes hanging around."

The girl shook her head. "But what does all that _mean?_ And what about the angels? Why aren't they helping her?"

"Because angels don't exist." He dismissed. "This painting was just made because some people were way too full of themselves a long time ago."

Bayonetta eyed the scene with passive interest, amused by their ignorance. She chuckled, realizing how dull her day was to actually listen to some strangers' small talk. The witch could let them go and forget their exchange, but the playing with innocent kids before doing business was too tempting. For educational purposes, of course.

"Angels do exist, honey!" She suddenly beamed at the girl. "Don't let this boy's hard head fool you, because angels don't like liars!" She winked, looking at the young man's react with the corner of her eyes.

The girl's eye widened with the revelation. "Really?"

"Of course! Can't you see the painting? The angels are helping the knights fight the witch."

She could hear the boy groaning into the dog's fur, as if she told them something absurdly stupid.

The girl gasped at the summary. "They're hurting that poor woman? Why?"

"Oh, dear. She was a witch." She answered with levity. "But don't worry, witches are naughty girls, and they can bite back just as hard."

The boy sneered at her. "Sounds like a load of bullsh- nonsense justify something horrible."

"It's not nonsense. Trust me, I'm a nun. Part time nowadays, but don't test me!"

"I- what?" He coughed, letting the grip on his arms soften and the dog leaped on the ground.

The little girl, already growing bored by the exchange, used her pet as a less than subtle excuse to go outside after thanking them for their time. Bayonetta gave her a polite goodbye.

"You should keep your pets on a tighter leash, that's how I take care of mine."

The boy looked away, pretending to ignore the tease. "You sure don't act like a nun I know."

"And what do you know about nuns, angels and witches?"

"Well, I did work at a church once as a... Security guard. Full time. It was a load of crap."

Bayonetta eyed him with curiosity before the priest called the boy, who hastily followed him after giving and awkward wave. He was a curious figure in that boring part of the world, saying lots of interesting opinions that made her suspicious of his , though he was too honest to imply there were deeper motivations behind his words, even if he tried to mask it with his attitude.

"Protected a church, yet he rejects angels. I wonder..."

* * *

Nero didn't imagine there was a catacomb below the chapel, somehow carved inside the hill centuries ago. The priest assured that, besides its existence, he didn't know anything about the place, remarking that him and everyone else were too scared to explore and any official documentation about it faded away a long time ago.

Negligence aside, the hunter could feel something was different about the atmosphere, too bright for a catacomb, and too cold and dry for that time of the year. The large tunnels were made by inhuman means, like something with large claws dug its way in. A couple of barely intact bones had unnatural shape, at the very least not human. Instead of torches, the walls had bulbs that kept well preserved petals of the famous ember lily.

According to the priest, about a week ago a loud cry was heard from the catacombs and during the night something busted the door open. Nero could find a few fresh scratch marks, but nothing useful. Fortunately, both his hunting experience and demonic instincts were sharp enough to walk through the maze and ignore most of the distractions.

While he examined the environment, a lizard crawled out of the shadows. It was a Blade that carefully prepared to leap towards its prey, only to be unceremoniously shot in the face.

"About time you bastards did something!" Nero complained. "You're all just stalking and not doing anything, let's just get over it so I can finish this before noon."

The demons, seemingly understanding the taunt, ditched stealth and jumped at the hunter. Without enough room to swing his sword, Nero had to rely on his revolver to blow their skulls and his fists to brutally crush their bodies. It was a delightful stress reliever, without a trace of elegance or care, just a bunch of monsters enjoying the pure violence.

The fight was so sloppy Nero threw one of the Blades into an empty coffin, which broke with the impact and revealed light coming from below and a strong breeze that pushed the molded air from the tight corridor.

"Fresh air? I'm at least in the center of this hill." Nero wondered, pausing the slaughter for a second to kick the remains of the coffin away and finding a tight tunnel that led to a well lit place.

"Well, I'm not gonna complain about a shortcut."

He tossed one of the demons in the hole first, just in case there was a trap below, and follow right after. To his surprise, he was falling on a large ceremonial room, complete with a round altar and dozens of old furniture lying around, most of them covered with a dusty white cloth. The ceiling so tall that Nero instinctively summoned his wings to land more comfortably, while the test subject splattered on the ground, causing a loud echo. The fake windows were so bright it didn't look like an underground temple.

A lot of Blades chased him blindly and fell pathetically to their deaths just like their friend. Nero felt other demons approaching rapidly, attracted by the noise and the smell of fresh blood. He could also feel something stronger, definitely connected to the demon world, like a portal or a large demon beneath the place.

"I thought those two idiots were going to keep demons from reaching here." He sighed and took his trusty Red Queen from the case. "Can't even trust them to keep a couple of doors closed..."

The moment he touched the ground, an unfamiliar creature appeared from a pillar and dashed towards him, wielding a double edged black and carmine scythe, ready to slice his head off. Nero caught the blade with his sword and, instead of countering, he examined the demon. He was tall, purple and sharp, with a lot of spiky details and a cape made of rings.

"New guy? I've never seen you in this neighborhood." The devil hunter asked, then punched the demon with his wing arm.

The foe was caught off guard and was staggered by the sudden attack, but he was quick to recover and resume the fight. Tougher than the lethargic Hells Nero usually massacred in his regular assignments, but not exactly a challenge. After a clashing blades, the hunter kicked his stomach and snatched his weapon, examining it with curiosity.

"Sweet! I Wonder if Nico can make something out of this." He spun the scythe with childish enthusiasm while the enemy flailed on the ground.

Nero stopped playing when he heard something jingling near one of the blades. It looked like a partially burnt charm made of copper, with a lily motif and small, elaborate details decorating its surface. On the center, there was a cracked watch with bent arms and strange letters engraved.

While he wasn't particularly found of those types of accessories, the watch emanated a peculiar dark energy that caught his attention, almost alluring him. His feathered Devil Bringers also reacted to the object, as they usually did around an unusual or magical presence, and the hunter never knew if it was a good sign or not.

The demon, fuming in rage and humiliation, pounced in a desperate attempt of revenge. Nero's senses suddenly flared up. He threw the scythe at the threat just as the foe was sniped with a bullet.

Sitting on a bronze chandelier, a woman nonchalantly blew the hot barrel of her gun after dodging Nero's attack with a swing.

"What do we have here, perhaps an angel that slipped under my nose?" Her distinct voice and style was instantly recognized.

"I didn't know they taught nuns how to stalk- Wait, did you say angel?" Nero blinked. His first reaction was to wonder if the chapel was somehow connected to the Order of The Sword, and their artificial demons were attacking the place. He still raised his gun at the suspicious attacker.

The woman answered by shooting a barrage of bullets at him. Confused, Nero dodged the attack and shot the chains holding the chandelier. She leaped away as the structure fell, contorting her flexible body on the air and shooting in a sadistic pattern, purposefully making him dance rather than going for the kill.

Irritated, Nero shielded his body with Red Queen and used his spectral arms to throw furnitures at the attacker. She kicked right through them and landed behind the hunter, blocking the incoming hot blade with the azure pistol. They stood still, measuring each other's strength through the contact of their weapons.

"Hmm... Heaven doesn't make _tender_ boys like this." The supposed nun commented, examining the hunter like a cat watched a bird. then she raised an eyebrow when her eyes landed on the clock. "But they do make nasty thieves like you!"

"What?" Nero almost stuttered, tempted to stop the fight just to clarify the situation. Although she didn't feel like a demon, there was a powerful wicked aura coming from her, only confusing him further. "You're not a demon... What the hell are you?"

They ceased their clash and hopped away from each other. The woman made the first move with a wide kick, using the pistol on her feet to cover the head-on attack while her skirt flew with the scandalous move. Nero froze, taken aback with her carefree display, and barely managed to block her leg with his wings by instinct rather than reflex.

She used the wings as leverage to spring up with a graceful leap, landing on the side of a pillar. "I am a _naughty girl_ , and it looks like a I need punish you for my lecture for granted!"

"A _witch_?" Nero glared her with cynicism. He felt the dangerous aura increase, as well as her excitement, when she heard the word.

Her clothes started magically dissolving as she slowly walked down the pillar. Her body moved sensually, swinging her hips in an inviting manner, but she had the eyes of an active predator, one who preferred to strike the prey first instead of waiting for a fool to fall for the honeytrap. Uncomfortably embarrassed, the hunter looked away, scrambling in his mind for ways to stop the madness.

"You're gonna catch a cold. Here, take this!" Nero kicked a nearby table at the woman. She slapped it away, but the cloth fell over her body. Then, the hunter used his charged shots to surprise her.

Black tendrils splashed from the pillar, forming a gigantic fist that almost punched Nero into the ground. The witch emerged right after, wearing a black tight suit and ready to shoot her target, only to be interrupted by a sneeze.

"First time I get to introduce myself without a barbarian tearing my clothes off, and _this_ is how you ruin my show!" She complained. "I was considering letting you go if you gave me that watch, but now that you covered me in dust I'll enjoy toying with you!"

"Maybe you shouldn't shoot first and assume things. I'm not a thief or an angel!" Nero cocked a spiteful grin and threw more furnitures at her. "And if you call _that_ a show maybe you should consider being a full time nun again, you're not impressing anyone!"

The witch retaliated by launching more tendrils at him. While he dodged, Nero put the watch in his pocket and decided to dismiss whatever she did and said as nonsense in order to focus on the fight. She sounded like a lunatic, but seemed to have more context than him so if anything went wrong he could still use the accessory as a bargaining chip.

She was really good in making him busy, giving little room the breathe. Their fight wrecked the whole place as they escalated their attacks trying to overpower, and impress, each other. Nero had to admit he was having a lot of fun in the chaos, against an opponent that kept him on his toes, making him use his tools, and always surprising with magic attacks from dead angles. But the best part was not having to deal with some kind of baggage on his shoulders.

Eventually, the witch summoned her fists again, intending to squish him head on. He accepted the challenge and morphed his wings into giant hands to catch them and prepared for the worst. The impact made Nero stumble backwards and crack the floor, losing his balance. He exerted so much strength to keep the stalemate his body accidentally transformed, surprising the woman.

"That doesn't look like an angel I know." She commented, lowering her guns and approaching with curiosity. "And these don't look like the summons a Lumen Sage uses."

"Will you stop throwing terms around? I'm a human!" Nero yelled, backing away as the witch came closer. "Mostly- I mean, I'm part demon!"

Her suit diminished the more power she gave to her summon. He felt his cheeks and ears burning with all kinds of stress, but he hated seeing the woman's delight even more, devilishly grinning at his display of frustration visible through the demonic skin.

She hooked her pistol on his horn, making Nero look up, right into her eyes. "I've never seen a demon that's such a cherry boy!"

"What the _fuck_?!"

The distraction was enough to make Nero lose balance and, instead of pushing, the magic fists pulled him up and gave him a strong shake. Startled, Nero lost control of his feathered arms and they turned back to their original form. He felt like a doll being pulled by strings, feeling more humiliated than hurt.

"And what would a demon boy be doing down here, looking for the soul of a witch to feast?" She asked, examining his body.

Nero shook his head, feeling naked in that position. "Look, I'm just looking for a missing woman, whatever business you have with witches and angels is not my problem. Now put me down!"

"Don't look at me. The lady downstairs seems to be interested in you." She shrugged. "She says you remind her of someone she knew."

The hands fidgeted around, delicately rubbing her thumb over the claws. Uncomfortable, Nero turned back and dismissed his wings to free himself, which apparently upset the owner of the magical limbs and made her leave the room. The witch looked amused, apparently hearing whatever the demon had to say.

"Never been downstairs, must be a coincidence." Nero dismissed. He pondered if she met a member of his infamous family, but he kept his curiosity to himself, knowing that mentioning his bloodline to strangers and lunatics would just invite trouble. "Anyway, I didn't steal anything. The watch was stuck in a demon, in fact I have no idea what this is."

He pulled the watch and showed it to her. The woman tried to snatch it from his hand, only to be evaded at the last moment.

"Ha! Finders keepers!" Nero played. "You tell me what this is and maybe I'll give it to you."

"Didn't you just say that _my_ business is not _your_ problem?" The witch chided. 

"It _will_ be my problem if your business get in my way. And the last thing I need is a witch ruining my job."

"How about you give me the watch and I won't spank you till your cheeks turn permanently red?"

Nero was tempted to ignore the threat and taunt her, but he knew she was dead serious and he didn't want antagonize the witch more than he already did. Despite not wanting to get involved in her problems, deep inside he was a little curious and wanted to see what was going on, feeling that at best it was an opportunity to know more about a newly discovered subject. And, at worst, if their cases were connected he wouldn't be caught off guard.

As she raised her gun, Nero's right arm began to glow and the watch was absorbed into the limb. A hot sting made his body shiver, and a brief, raging memory flashed in his mind before the artifact seemingly settled down.

"Ah, oops." He paused. "I didn't know that could still happen..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I changed a couple of drawings if you read this before I updated it, but if you want to see the old versions you can check them [here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/3ff6ce2e534220e3df6eecf58a576177/97b8d649f4f45691-d2/s1280x1920/a37b2f97ac99fc884ccdafde1658f3577a575494.jpg) and [here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/37d37205d1eac0b493e978d17e498e00/97b8d649f4f45691-d7/s1280x1920/f0eab875545ce8877748227ee1e9da352acd2325.jpg)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm taking so long to write and draw that I decided to split the chapter in two, so apologies for everyone who's been waiting for an update.  
> I also edited a couple of words in the first chapter. Nothing really big that changes the story, just a little clean up. And I remade a couple of drawings so check it out! Or don't, I'm not your boss or anything.
> 
> (I also hope no one saw me messing up and re-uploading this chapter after the images didn't work like I wanted... Since I'm a little paranoid about the links not working all the drawings can be seen [here](https://dumbartpotato.tumblr.com/) )

Bayonetta lazily payed with her lollipop as she examined the halls of the chambers, unsure if she should be mocking or be impressed that the Inquisition wasted so much effort in making a secret base look so opulent. The libraries were intact, filled with readable books despite the thick layer of dust, the torture rooms only had a couple of corpses in containers, dried and dissected, and the training facilities were surprisingly clean, with little evidence of use. The whole place was still soaked with magic, used to protect the rooms from demonic influence and to create an illusion of normalcy needed for the people that had to work without seeing sunlight for months, maybe years.

Despite all the effort, the witch felt the place was ironically closer to Hell than to Heaven. She had a hunch that it wasn't just because of the low demons wandering in the shadows, there was definitely something much darker crawling deep inside the chambers, likely related to her mystery. But without much information, or is some cases a journalist jumping from a rooftop to share some ancient gossip, all Bayonetta could do was do some educated guesses. Luckily, there was a handful guide giving some directions.

From a couple of rooms behind her position, demons were screeching in pain whenever something crashed hard against the walls and floor. No matter how far she went or how little she payed attention, it was impossible to lose her accidental partner. He fought like a beast, smashing and cutting enemies into pieces with excessive strength, not caring about getting his hands dirty or the blood splattering all over his body, in fact he loved going close and personal, grabbing a demon with one of his four arms and tearing it apart. It wasn't a display of sloppiness or even sadism for the most part, it was his style of fighting. Though some of that carnage could be attributed to an amusingly short fuse.

Bayonetta finally entered the room where the fight took place, tapping her heel on the floor impatiently. "You don't need to examine every single corner here, your damsel is not going to be in this abandoned dust museum!"

"You don't know that." He answered bluntly. "Also why are you here? You said you were going ahead and disappeared for like, an hour!"

"I didn't expect you to prance around for so long, leaving me hanging." She sneered, kicking a pitifully lost demon in the boy's direction. "I can appreciate people who take their time during foreplay, but I don't like it too slow, Hummingbird."

His eye rolling was louder than a demon's death scream. After several curses and uncomfortable deflections, the boy finally learned to not engage with her mannerisms, but he was still affected by the suggestive commentary and tried his hardest to ignore it. "What the hell is your problem with names? Freakin' peacock lady..."

The witch mindlessly turned her attention to the lollipop in her hand and earned a tired groan from him. She would call the kid, Nero, by his name if he didn't have such strong reaction to the nickname. At first he talked back by cursing or playing her game with dull names, however, after Bayonetta called his tantrums _cute_ , he became visibly mortified and settled with expressing his most of his complaints through defeated groans and a little snarks. She didn't mind either way, it was a lot more entertaining than the fights so far.

Though it wasn't like she was going to stay in the sidelines forever. Whenever Bayonetta took the stage and committed a bloody massacre the boy tried to look away from her, still not used with the Umbran fighting style. The reaction was as entertaining as the fight itself, but even more delightful was his enthusiasm when she summoned Diomedes to finish a small prey, quietly calling the demon "cool". Even the horse enjoyed the attention and decided to stay a little longer to show off to the audience.

While Bayonetta was focused on her thought and her candy, Nero's arm flinched and the last enemy in the room burst into flames just as he was grabbing it by the neck.

"Damn it, not again!" He cursed, startled by the sudden fire, and held his limb. The boy still was getting used with the watch, which sparked small fire bursts off his palm, usually when he got agitated. According to him, it prickled his skin and didn't hurt his arm, but the intrusion still bothered him a lot.

"I see I'm not the only one losing patience here."

"I thought this thing didn't have a soul or anything..." Nero fidgeted around, looking uneasy. "...I don't want anyone inside my arm, and those rumors about this witch being alive don't sound good for me."

"The timer of the watch hit zero, so the witch's soul went to her patron demon a long time ago. In theory, anyway." Bayonetta explained as she thought about her investigation, then eyed Nero with judgemental eyes. "But maybe it's _your_ fault the watch's acting weird. You said earlier that your arm changes when it gobbles items, didn't you?"

"It _used_ to... Nowadays I just put on a prosthetic over it so I kind of forgot about this detail." Nero picked one of the mechanical arms to make his point, but didn't equipped it, since they also caught on fire upon use. Bayonetta wondered if even the Umbran equipment didn't like sharing the spotlight once it took the center of a stage, much to the host's chagrin. "Man, if I don't get rid of this thing, _she's_ gonna kill me for real."

"Then hurry up and let me see the watch, neither the dead nor the missing have all the time in the world to spare."

Nero grumbled in response, but complied anyway. His arm flickered with energy and turned translucent, like it was just a light projection instead of meat and bone, summoning the Umbran watch. He awkwardly explained earlier that his arm changed a couple of times in the past, which confused him a couple of times, and it was capable of assimilating certain objects, not always with his consent. To make things worse, the peculiar item chained itself to his arm and refused to leave him. They speculated that the apparently lifeless artifact needed to use Nero as a source of energy, since it kept giving him vague directions as if it was walking a puppy to sniff a treasure.

Bayonetta didn't question any further, noticing the boy wasn't very keen on talking about the subject and skipped a lot of details. She didn't know if he was hiding something too personal, or he simply didn't know much about his own peculiar physiology and didn't want to admit it. Both reasons were probably true to an extent, but she knew no overbearing tease or threat in the world would make a stubborn brat like him open his mouth.

"It wants us to go further this hallway. At least that's what I feel." Nero mumbled, waving the watch as if it was a compass. "Weird, I thought the cause of the trouble was down- Hey!"

The witch snatched the watch from his hands, yanking a flustered Nero around by its chain as she nonchalantly examined the item while walking to the suggested direction with haste.

"Okay, Okay! I get it! You're in a hurry!" Nero yelped, trying to pull his arm to not lose balance. "Let go of my arm!"

"I'm not touching your arm, Hummingbird, I'm taking a look at the watch. You're the one hanging around." She snarked and yanked the chain to tease him, tracing the burnt details. "A shame even her name was erased, I'm not exactly in the mood to play detective in this hole."

Nero had to hop forward to catch up to the witch's long steps, and looked at the watch with worry. "Not sure if I want to meet another witch anytime soon."

"I know at least one witch who would have snipped your wings by now, among other things. She's a lot less forgiving about little devils stealing a lady's accessories."

They reached the furthest door in the hall and Bayonetta kicked it down with a bang of her heel, crushing the wood, and found themselves in a research room. It round and went deep down, almost like a tower was built in the chamber, with a couple of elevators and platforms that were missing its cogs and ropes to move around. The atmosphere was drier and darker than the previous environments, having none of the illusions that kept the chambers deceptively pleasant, but there was a large stained glass window with clock installed on the inside that still worked, groaning loudly as heavy iron arms moved at every minute.

Interested in the new, nonsensical environment, Bayonetta let go of the watch and began inspecting for clues. Instead of opulent decorations, the area had several experiments and artifacts scattered around, either broken or carelessly jammed with tools, which low demons such as Hideous, Hatred and some pesky lizards scavenged the trash. More importantly, there were old charred marks on floor and walls and charred equipment.

Nero was about to fight the demons in the way when he saw something on a shelf that picked his interest. They were two large, old revolvers that were mostly burned, but the bronze texture and a couple golden trims were still visible. Each had a small charm hanging on the grip, one was a blue peacock feather, and the other had a small, transparent stones. He looked curiously at the details, before clicking his tongue when he realized what he was touching.

"I think these were hers." The boy said as he tossed the guns to Bayonetta. "Here. Don't want to touch something that might get stuck in my arm."

The guns were heavier than expected, still loaded with special bullets, but the cylinders no longer moved and the barrels was stuffed with dirt and ashes. The grips had the name of each revolver, Rosette and Mayblossom. On the frame, most of the letters were scratched, except for a couple of letters.

"From d'Aulnoy... For Cassandra..." She read, carefully scraping the dirt. "Can't read anything else."

"Do you recognize the names?" Nero asked absentmindely while hopping down to the lower levels.

"Baroness d'Aulnoy was a renowned Umbra artisan, but I don't remember the name of every single witch that existed. Do you still remember the names of all your classmates, boy?"

"Can't remember shit that never mattered. Maybe my fist might remember their faces though."

"Hm? Was a softie like you a trouble kid?"

"Softie..." Nero scoffed and shot a demon nearby just to make a point. "I was the worst! People like me only invited trouble."

Despite the distracting noise of an explosive sword, the witch heard a quiet mutter the boy said to himself.

"...That's what they always say."

Though he wanted to sound casual, there was a hint of resentment in that remark. Bayonetta chuckled lightly, remembering her own distant childhood. "Your tough boy act is not very convincing, Hummingbird. Sounds more like you were in the wrong place."

"Fortuna isn't exactly the best place in the world, but I can't say I'm blameless." Nero sheepishly deflected. "And stop calling me a bird..."

"Bet you were not as bad as me."

"What, you fought in front of everybody at the church? Punched a priest and got sent to kid's solitary for a week?"

"All my classmates were girls, and we are really mean when we get into petty fights."

"My co-workers are mean girls so..."

Just when Nero was about to say a couple of honest words, his arm twitched and glowed weakly, interrupting his thoughts. The room began rumbling, making the frail furniture crack and books fall over, threatening to crumble over their heads. Demons scattered from the lower floors, displaying scars and injuries from recent fight, frantically moving around as the dark atmosphere with a slowly crept in, pulling the whole building closer to Inferno.

The ceiling suddenly crashed, revealing stone muses who promptly attacked the demons with mechanical brutality. They had stone bodies with simple details, looking more like living statues, metallic wings instead of arms and a glowing core instead of a head.

Nero spectated the slaughter with mild curiosity. "Where did they come from?"

"They're probably this chamber's security guards. A little slow on their job, but even statues would wake up with all the rumble. "

As Bayonetta watched the fight, the wall near her suddenly busted open, bricks flying at her at full speed. She could only register what looked like the face of a white ram with large, golden horns between the debris, glaring its target with cold eyes, before timing her dodge.

However, right when her heels were leaving the ground, the Umbra Witch heard the boy yelling as the stone figure was stopped on its tracks.

"Gotcha!"

Despite being annoyed by the unnecessary intervention, Bayonetta waved in gratitude.

"You shouldn't interrupt a dancer that already chose their pair, dear Hummingbird, but I'll let this one slide since this partner is quite ugly."  
  
"You're still welcome on the main stage, Odette." The kid sneered.

With the brute stopped by Nero's winged arm and the debris rapidly clearing, the witch could take a better look at it. It was a large, humanoid made of stone and metal with a shoulder guard shaped like a ram on the left side. Instead of a head, a cluster of wings came out of its neck moving on their own. on the left side of the chest, a core glowed brightly, appearing to be its vital spot.

"Hm, I suppose I can't let Odile steal the show."

Without further delay, Bayonetta began showering the brute with bullets. The brute tanked the fire and his core blinked with a dark red aura, making all of the muses stop their assault and glow with the same color. They all suddenly rushed to Nero's direction, who released his grip and jumped over the enemy as soon as several metallic feathers homed towards him.

The brute then used the momentum stored from the hold and charged towards Bayonetta's direction. Just as she began to dodge out of the way, something fell off and time never slowed down. The opponent's right arm opened into pieces right as the attack would connect, as if it knew about the Umbra Witch's abilities, and reformed in time to punch the pillar behind her.

Caught by surprise, but still prepared, Bayonetta improvised and dodged the incoming debris, using them to slow down time. While examining the battle, she noticed that the brute seemed to know she was moving at a different speed, wings shaking like they were sensing the Witch Time. Above her the boy was fighting the muses, who also seemed to have the ability to shift the stones in their bodies to avoid the heavy sword swings. Bayonetta guessed that they were creatures based on the Golem, meaning they could get annoying even without the same level of flexibility the originals had.

With the pillar destroyed, the whole tower was getting weaker and began collapsing. The bottom floors of the structure shot open and a gigantic tendril entered the scene, quickly snaking its way towards the brute and wrapped its torso so violently it instantly crushed. Bayonetta only had time to see it was a burnt vine before it dragged itself down with the prey secured.

Instead of caving in, the tower started falling down towards the dark atmosphere at the bottom, revealing they were entering Inferno.

* * *

Despite being relentless and lithe, it didn't take long for Nero to discover that crushing the muses' cores would shut them down permanently. After frustrating rounds where all attacks hit literally nothing, the young hunter began to brute force and tank as many razor sharp feathers as he wanted just to catch the enemies.

By the time the vine invaded the tower and snatched the brute, Nero was too distracted with the blades stinging his body to notice he was not in the chamber anymore, only realizing it when gravity was suddenly shifted when the room fell. Him and the witch held to the falling clock, shooting the muses and watching the small demons fall like ragdolls, until they landed on a completely different place.

Nero felt disoriented at first, deciding to pull off the remaining feathers off his body in order to focus, and accept the reality that threatened his notions of logical space. However, there was a lingering dizziness that threatened to turn into a headache, heart pounding inside his chest with a fire that refused to calm down.

After breathing quietly for a few seconds, the hunter was able to relax and examine his surrounding. He was stepping on a charred version of the hill, one without any of the festivities and decorations, burned stakes and fallen blades decorating the surface instead of lilies. The chapel was badly damaged, but most of the structure was still standing. The hunter was absolutely sure, but maybe not so confident, that the hill didn't burn while he was exploring the chambers, and the new environment was some kind of dark dimension. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but want a second opinion.

"Are we... In Hell?" Nero asked, not hiding the apprehension in his tone as he looked at the dark sky and the smoke trails from the rough trip down.

When those words came out of his dry mouth, his stomach fell. If there was anything that could make his day worse, it was the possibility of a family reunion.

"Not quite. It's more like a transitional area, but demons live around here so don't get too comfortable, boy." Bayonetta commented, firmly stepping on a charred sword. Although she sounded casual about their situation, he felt a bit annoyance in her voice. "Still, it does look like someone turned this spot into their personal Hell."

Nero had to agree with the comment. He felt his spine chill as echoes of a tragedy played in his mind. The atmosphere felt dense and suffocating, so hot the illusion could burn his throat if his senses allowed. It was like the fire never faded away and ghost from the past were trapped in that spot, condemned to relive the tragedy over and over. The hunter had to summon the watch to check if it was messing with him.

It was a weird feeling, having his arm connected to the watch. At first he thought it was just a moody freeloader, burning random things and tugging him around whenever it felt like. However, there was a small, but intense spark coming from the artifact stinging in his nerves whenever he fought, like a blood thirsty Devil Arm that couldn't wait to set the world on fire despite being a mere, soulless husk. Nero honestly didn't think his situation wouldn't be so bad if the watch wasn't so demanding.

His head felt heavier when figments of memories suddenly invaded his thoughts, showing a beautiful woman who fought on the hill, covered in blood and fire, still standing with enough poise to look dignified in such state. She looked sorrowfully at the several burned stakes, then back the army of white robed knights, accompanied with stone guardians, which looked like smaller versions of the brute from earlier, that readily pointed their arms at her.

 _"I told you._ " Her voice echoed. " _If you wanted my attention, you just had to call me. How many innocents did you burn on this hill alone?_ "

She laughed as the scorching inferno grew with her dance, promising to take as many knights with her as possible. The witch endured her injuries with a sad, pitiful smile, wanting to face death with some class.

" _I guess it's time. I hope my soul is a suitable apology gift for this anti-climatic ending..._ " Words were whispered to her watch, eyes staring fondly at something beyond the timer that reached zero. " _It was fun while it lasted._ "

Nero was so entranced watching the memory he didn't notice a hand approaching his face until it knocked his forehead and snapped him out of the scene, bringing him back to the dead version of the hill.

"What are you mumbling about?" Bayonetta asked, curiosity almost masking her mild concern. "Were you daydreaming here, in the literal end of the world?"

"Nothing, just having a bad case of déjà vu with someone else's memories." Nero responded, feeling the dizziness getting more and more distracting for his own good. "Seemed like people from this town had some grudge against her, and did some nasty stuff just to lure her out."

He trailed off describing the scene and the witch's last moments, when the implication from Bayonetta's question suddenly hit him. "W-Wait, was I saying something? Did I do something weird right now when I was watching the memories?"

"Oh, you didn't realize you were dancing around and waving your hands?" The witch smiled mischievously. "I have to say you have some talent... Not for an Umbra Witch, but you can be a backup dancer for one, maybe discover your kitten within-"

"We should investigate!" Nero cut bluntly, staring intently at the watch to avoid exposing his red face. Joke or not, the very idea of doing anything an Umbra Witch did was embarrassing enough he wanted to bury his head into the ashen ground, along with his dignity. "I think it wants to check the chapel."

He walked with quick and heavy steps, ignoring the intense look Bayonetta gave him. To his relief, the watch was cooperative enough to give a direction when asked, but deep inside Nero was worried of what could happen if another witch happened to be waiting for them to join in the torment.

The interior of the chapel was well preserved save from a couple of burned spots, and looked nearly identical with the current version of the building. Voices of people hiding from the battle crying for mercy echoed through the bricks along with rushed steps everywhere. Some seemed to regret everything that happened, even quietly apologizing to the witch, others wanted blood, demanding for her head as retribution for the chaos. Though Nero wanted to avoid the imaginary crowd, something caught his attention in the back of the room, where two green Empusas hovered around.

At the altar, there was a cover made of vine strings that snaked around the area. It was shielded by a bubble made of dark energy, easily bouncing the demons off like flies touching an electric fence. There was nothing that indicated immediate danger, nor the watch reacted to the energy field, but curiosity was stronger than common sense in that particular case. After shooting the pests, Nero approached the bubble and found an unexpected surprise.

He saw the missing singer, passed out on the altar. She was a short, red headed woman on her early thirties wearing fancy clothes. Bayonetta was the first to touch the bubble, curiously examining the peculiar energy and, to her surprise, nothing happened. The witch walked through as if the barrier didn't exist and touched the woman's hand.

Seeing everything was safe, Nero tried to approach the scene. The moment his left hand touched the bubbled he was repelled with a harsh shock, just like the demons earlier. While the devil hunter was only lightly burned and healed instantly, the rejection hurt and offended him a bit more.

"Hey..." Nero complained to no one in particular. "Just let me do my damn job."

"It appears this is an anti-demon barrier set to protect this lady." Bayonetta commented. "Or this is a girls only party, one with questionable taste in decor. Also your princess is fine, just sleeping like a baby."

"That's great, but why do I have a bad feeling about this... I mean, why the hell is she here in the first place?"

The witch looked around, thoughtful eyes analyzing the situation with interest. "It _is_ weird. Random humans like her don't mean anything for demons. I guess someone wanted to keep a snack for later."

Nero wasn't satisfied with the theory, which he was sure it was only said in jest. Either way, he didn't feel like thinking about it now that his job was half-way done. "Whatever. Can you pick her up for me?"

"Do I look like your sidekick? You better give me my part at the end of this." She sneered, but complied anyway.

"I can give you a fancy watch. Doesn't work without me, but I can ask my partner to offer a cheap repair."

"I bet I can get better value with the devil who makes weapons for me. And he's a cheap bartender."

"Hm, you know a good weapons dealer? You have my attention."

"I don't think children are allowed in there, but if you're willing to bet your soul for a new toy, I'll give you his number."

Before Bayonetta could touch the woman's shoulders, the ground began shaking. The ceiling of the chapel crumbled and its pieces floated away, exposing the building's interior to the dark sky. The air became heavier and the smell of burned grass and wood was oppressive, dominating their senses. A gigantic female demon emerged from behind the hill, her dress moving like large petals budding in the spring. Nero caught a glimpse of surprise when she looked at the witch, before quickly changing into a more regal, smug face.

Her voice boomed through the hill, demanding all the attention from the audience. "Ah, what a _pain_. How should I welcome the intruders who dare to disturb my private party?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly one of the hardest things to think about was what kind of nickname Bayo would give Nero, so I spent a lot of time looking at bird pictures. "Little Starling" was the first choice, but I picked "Hummingbird" because of their mutualistic relationship with flowers.
> 
> Also here's a picture of a scrapped scenario:  
>   
> Oddly enough I was actually inspired by the [art](https://teppenthegame.com/_materials/img/update/2020/ath/wallpaper02-pc.jpg) of Capcom's card game, where Nero just hangs out with a Felyne from Monster Hunter and I wanted to make a scenario with a cat. Oh well, maybe next time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty slow lol  
> But also my tablet's pen was malfunctioning for a while and that made me lose a bit of motivation.  
> Anyway, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this silly fic.

It was as if the little Hell gradually became smaller, with the sky tuning hazy and the memories of the past screamed louder, a claustrophobic hill that cornered the visitors under the intense eyes of the enormous demon. Giant tattered wings opened on her back, unleashing a wicked aura that made the small pests lurking around cower in fear. Nero was the first to react, putting his body in front of the bubble and readying his revolver, unfazed by a threat hundreds of times bigger than him.

"I'll keep the giant bouquet busy, you take the woman out of here." He hissed, taking a protective stance.

And just like that, all of Bayonetta's thoughts evaporated, distracted by the display of naive bravery. She tilted her head, silently admiring the boy until he finally turned around impatiently, frustrated by the lack of response.

"What now?"

"You want to leave me out of this dance, and have the new lady all for yourself? I have to say, I didn't expect you to be have a thing for big girls."

"I-!" Nero choked on his voice, and the show of confidence went nowhere. "It's not like that! In case you didn't notice, I can't touch the barrier! If you want to fight so badly, just take the woman out first and I'll protect her."

Nero smacked the bubble just emphasize his point, despite the shock irritating his palm. Bayonetta only gave him an amused look and walked out of the protection without the woman, much to the hunter's irritation.

"In case _you_ didn't notice, Hummingbird, the air outside became quite suffocating and I don't think her lungs can take the ashes. For now, she's safer in there." She shrugged. "Besides, do you really think we can just conveniently hop out of the hill with the main dish?"

"Maybe? I mean, we can try. She's not going to be saved by staying here."

If Bayonetta's nonchalant, almost mocking posture wasn't enough pressure, the demon towering them began chuckling at the scene, her high pitched, cracked voice echoing through the hill and making the young hunter look even smaller, like an actual hummingbird surrounded by cats.

"Such a plucky fool! I didn't know this kind of chivalry still existed. A little rude, but very entertaining." The demon joyfully engaged with the intruders like they were guests, looking at Bayonetta with dark, curious eyes. "Is he yours?"

"Hummingbird? No." The witch causally responded, ignoring a baffled Nero. "I discipline my pets with a lot harder after a couple of naughty boys made me look bad."

"I see. But demons can only be held for so long. You can put a leash, but you'll never tame the fire inside."

"Demons wouldn't be fun if they were all bark and no bite, I just need to bite back harder. That's why I ordered a new pair of heels to keep them in place."

"Hmm? You almost make me excited. Care to demonstrate?"

As the demon raised her hand and taunt the witch, daring her to make the first move, Nero quickly stepped in the middle of the conversation, puzzled eyes shooting between the two threatening ladies.

"Wait- _Wait!_ " He shouted. "You guys know each other?"

Bayonetta shook her head. "Never seen her before."

"Nope." The demon snorted in a rather unrefined fashion.

"But then-"

"I know an Umbra Witch when I see one, Hummingbird."

"My name is Ne-"

Bayonetta walked forward and bowed elegantly, interrupting the correction in order to keep the conversation going. "You seem to be more than familiar with witches, demon. Maybe you were bonded with one in particular?"

"Madama Flora. Pleasure to meet you." The demon bowed in return. "It looks pretty obvious, doesn't it? Well, no point in keeping the mystery... I had a pact with a witch a long time ago."

For a moment, the fire lost its fuel and the smoke thinned, like the ire clouding the small piece of Hell was cleared and fragments of calmer, brighter memories. Nero felt his head a little lighter as well, slightly alleviated from the dizziness, but his heart still pounded fast as he listened to the Madama Flora's bitter words. A melancholic voice whispered inside his head, crying for something, someone, almost possessing him.

"Oh, Cassandra! She was my partner in crime. She moved so elegantly it was like watching a dance! So beautiful even an angel would fall for her! I can still remember our fights like it was yesterday, all the blood and halos we spilled on the floor and all the death screams we danced to... Like we were one in the same..."

Madama Flora hysterically laughed to herself until she remembered the present, and her guests, then shook her head to brush away the memories, making the fire burn even brighter than before, with renewed fierce.

"...And yet, she never came to me after her demise. Lost in the fire, burned like all the other souls that perished on that night. I searched for her soul for so long, only to find disappointment every time I got close to the human world." She sighed dramatically and tensed her shoulders, crushing one of the burnt stakes with her hand. "Then I saw those lilies! They felt like her, style and everything... And I saw the same people who threw her into the fire cherishing them, taking advantage of her blessing for a lame, boring festival celebrating lies! I have to do something! Just a small prank, of course, so they remember the what _really_ happened..."

The demon threw the remains of the stake on the ground, huffing in anger. Nero gathered enough focus to shut down the voice in order to dodge a splinter, raising his guard again.

"You plan to crash the festival? So the woman you kidnapped...?"

"Oh, don't worry, this woman will be on time for her show. A new show to remind them of the countless, innocent girls they burned on that spot in their pointless hunts." Madama Flora smiled deviously before giving the intruders one last warning. "Now, now. I know you two are just some lost tourists, so I'll be nice and give you _one_ chance to leave this place, or you will be on stage too, with your own stakes and everything."

As the demon summoned vines to link the hill to the crack in the sky, a loud bang interrupted her. Nero readied his revolver with an unusually tense grip, feeling that the lack of fresh air finally took a toll on his body.

"Sorry about what happened, ma'am, I really am, but I can't let you do this."

"So courageous! But I can see you're not feeling well." Madama Flora commented. "All this bravado won't get you anywhere if you can't even fight properly, and trust me, I won't let years of agony go to waste."

"How about we solve this without a fight then?"

Nero impatiently shuffled his feet to get closer to Madama Flora. He raised his right arm and summoned the Umbran watch stuck inside him. The demon gasped at the sight, dropping everything she had in mind and bending down to examine the item so quick even the fire was startled. Her face was so close to the hunter he could see her immaculate porcelain skin, so smooth it was almost unnatural, even for a demon.

"It's her-! Where did you find this?" Madama Flora inquired, quickly cornering her prey with her vines. "I've been looking for it everywhere! None of those useless demons I sent even had the decency to return with a report, how?"

"I didn't find it; it found its way to me. Pretty clingy of you ask." Nero shrugged. "Here's the deal, you give up your party and let us all get the hell out of here, and I'll give you this watch."

"Oh, my! You're full of surprises, little Hummingbird!" The demon looked at the young man with wide, indecipherable eyes. The hill began shaking once again, creating cracks all over the dry ground. "If the Umbran watch likes you, certainly you'll make a wonderful pet for my future plans. I want the watch and _you_ , darling!"

"What?!"

Burnt vines burst from the ground and attacked the hunter and the witch, combing the area to give them as little room to move as possible. Madama Flora raised her arms, summoning sharp spikes and dark flowers on the field. She moved her body, slowly but fiercely, like a seductive dance to control an army of snakes. Even the illusions trapped on the hill screamed in horror and pain, getting mercilessly crushed into bloody bits before dissipating, all while the demon flashed a sadistic grin, like the fantasy of the massacre empowered her.

Giant roots cracked the hill in half, making the witch and the hunter leap in different directions. Bayonetta elegantly ran through the deadly forest, keeping an eye on the trapped woman. Predictably, she was out of harms way, but the hill was becoming too unstable to keep up with the chaos and no protection in the universe would save a frail human from whatever Inferno had to offer. Because of the risks, the Umbra Witch felt that summoning the big guns would be too much, despite knowing Madama Butterfly was itching to make an appearance.

"You could walk your way here if you want it that badly, we are in your neighborhood after all." Bayonetta joked to her patron demon. "But I know that's not your style. I'll see if I can arrange a stage for you without destroying the whole place, then."

On the other side of the battlefield, Nero moved aggressively, cutting down the vines in his way and taunting with loud attacks. He knew Madama Flora locked her eyes on him so any form of stealth was out the window, and she was aware her prey would not go down without a fight, mercilessly swinging her hand and her plants to intercept him.

Still, the demon wasn't ready for Nero's raw strength. He crushed through a particularly sturdy vine with his bare hands instead of dodging out of the way, giving him enough time to zip towards Madama Flora and cut the back of her hand as she tried to swat him. Instead of looking like a typical cut, her delicate skin cracked like a frail porcelain surface and she hissed in pain.

Just when Nero had the opportunity to attack again, his headache decided it wanted his attention with twice the pain and he staggered mid-air. Faint ghosts of the knights aimed their weapons at him, yelling for the witch's head and providing enough distraction from the real threat. Just when Nero tried to move again, he was whipped into the grass and restrained by the vines.

The whispers became more insistent, muffling his senses from the real world. By the time he was able the shake off the distraction, Nero heard a familiar woman's voice sneering at him, and he found himself suspended in a rather uncomfortable position, while the Umbra Witch sat on one of the vines around.

"You've been quite distracted in the past minutes, Hummingbird." Bayonetta casually flicked his forehead, making an embarrassed Nero growl in annoyance. "Are we too boring compared to the world inside your head? If that's the case, I can show you more stimulating ways to tie a body than this _amateur_ work."

Madama Flora laughed at the remark, arrogantly cocking her head to call her attention. "Us demons have been doing this for far longer than you little humans discovered were gifted with your sins. Do not test me."

The demon licked her lips and sent even more aggressive attacks towards the Umbra Witch, both women provoking each other at every clash with daring remarks. To Nero's chagrin, he wasn't left unnoticed and the vines began tightening around his body, making his muscles cry and his bones bend. He knew screaming would just make things worse, but he couldn't help but spill curses about everyone and everything he could lay his eyes upon.

"I must be losing my fucking mind..." The young hunter gritted his teeth through his pain and rage, tired of that miserable day. "'Cause I'm starting to wish I was dealing with _them_ instead."

"Giving up already?" Bayonetta challenged with a sly smile, fiddling a vine like she was serious about her proposal.

Instead of snarking back, and maybe because deep inside he knew the witch _was_ indeed serious about her proposal, Nero clicked his tongue and began powering through the vines to make his point. They were far stronger than expected, and just as stubborn as he was. Without the patience to wiggle his way out, the hunter summoned his wings to quickly rip the restraints apart.

To his surprise, his body was free almost instantly. Nero felt something hot on his back, stinging his sweat covered skin, though it wasn't burning like the illusory raging fire, rather it was a lot calmer. His wings were coated in orange, glowing petal-like feathers, burning brightly like the famous lilies that bloomed on the hill.

Both the witch and the demon stopped the fight to look at the phenomenon. The hectic forest settled down, like the sea calming after a storm, forming a platform so Madama Flora could strut on. She hastily approached the young man with harsh stomps, enchanted by the petals.

"My dear witch... Are you in there? Is- Is that you?"

The demon's fast, desperate walk made the vines shake and startle Nero, who wanted to dart away from the obvious threat. He tried to step back, but the whispers inside his head kept him from running, almost daring him to stand his ground by making his wings glow brighter.

"Hey! You won't get anything if I get squashed!" Nero tried to reason with the demon and the watch, whoever could listen to reason.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Bayonetta quickly hopped near the Madam Flora and used the safety of the vine platform to summon her own patron, Madama Butterfly. When the demon noticed the new presence it was a millisecond too late, feeling her waist grabbed by purple clad arms and thrown with a perfect German suplex. The hill dented with giant crate and the resulting shockwave was so intense even the fire was blown off for a moment.

While Madama Flora was busy seeing stars on the ground, the hunter and the witch slowly walked to her side to inspect the damage. Nero couldn't help but whistle in amazement.

"That was pretty cool..." He admitted, slightly embarrassed when Madama Butterfly noticed the compliment and winked at him before waving a polite goodbye.

"Everyone is being such a show off today." Bayonetta mumbled. She was a little surprised that Madama Butterfly decided to make such a bombastic move, knowing that the hill could've snapped in half if the vines were too weak to take the hit. But since everything went well, the witch had nothing to complain about. "Well, because of that the fight ended earlier than expected, I hope you're satisfied with that quick appearance."

Then, she crossed her arms and turned to Nero with a reprimanding tone. "And you, stop indulging all the demons you meet. Keep flirting with the devil and I'll gladly leave you here with them."

"Geez, no need to be cranky just because your buddies put up a better show than you." Nero provoked, but without and bite in his voice. "They do say that a pet's bad behavior is the owner's fault..."

Bayonetta walked towards him, puffing her chest and planting her heels on the flattened vines to confront the boy. "Oh, is that what you think? Maybe I should tie you up like I promised, starting with your tongue."

Nero simply groaned at her and earned a daring glare in return. He knew the risks, but he also knew their job wasn't finished yet.

Their down time was cut short when a lucid Madama Flora slowly raised and sat up, staring at them in defeat. Her porcelain skin cracked and fell off, revealing large burns from the holy fire, opened and infected for centuries. Nearly half of her face was scarred and her left eye looked dull compared to the right one. Even her outfit also whittled, displaying the same dead color the vines and the tattered wings did. It was like a chrysalis of a lie peeled off and a sad, pitiful creature showed her true colors.

"...You may leave. Take everything you want, for I have nothing left to cherish." She whispered, too humiliated to raise her voice.

There was a heavy silence that lasted an eternity of seconds until Nero yelped. The Umbran watch summoned itself on his right arm and started tugging its host towards the demon, huffing the petals on the young hunter's back. The Demon stared him, curiously watching the scene before chuckling and slowly lowering herself to touch the wings, while Nero had to fight the urge to swat her away.

"As bossy as ever, hm? When I first met her, she was a little queen. Always so stubborn, always insisting things went her way. I even admit I disliked her in the beginning, having the gall to say she only partnered with me because I could make beautiful lilies whenever she wanted." Madama Flora let out a long sigh before confessing her feelings bubbling deep inside her consciousness. "But she was my best friend, and after years planning my revenge I realized how I missed her. And I missed the fun. Fighting with someone, share the glory and the blood, and... And I just couldn't let it go."

Nero felt the watch tug him again, forcing his voice out in an accusing manner. "You wanted to form a pact with that woman."

"Yeah, you got me. I knew it was a lame plan... Then I felt so exposed when you two came here and I may have exaggerated in retaliation." Madama Flora gave a tired smirk, not even ashamed about being caught. "And you... Are you jealous, my witch? Well, you took too long, and I'm tired of feeling... Unfulfilled."

Bayonetta shrugged. "I don't blame the green eyes after all the effort it took to reach here. You should've seen her speaking through Hummingbird, dancing and pleading me to find you."

"I did _what?_ " Nero asked, confused about her statement.

"I wasn't lying earlier, darling!" Bayonetta mocked. "This little inferno did something to your head and you started moving and babbling like you were the witch herself. You even re-enacted her last moments, showing me how her soul was accidentally shattered by an angel before she could properly descend. A fragment managed to stay inside the watch, but most pieces were lost on the hill, which explains the peculiar lilies."

Bayonetta almost took pity when Nero shut down, confused and too embarrassed to even imagine the situation, and tried not to chuckle when Madama Flora was already snorting loud enough to crowd him.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?!" Nero barely managed to gasp his words out, flailing his four arms at the witch.

"I just needed to make sure the big lady here was calm first, and you would be stumbling on your feathers if I told you all the details before the main event even began."

There was a moment of silence. Bayonetta smiled like she told the best joke in the world, making the boy doubt her words.

"Wait- Was that a joke? What happened to me there?"

While Nero tried to argue with the witch, the hill began trembling once more, surprising even the mistress that of the domain. Their fight was too much for the frail ground, unable to maintain its form even with the strongest vines trying to stitch it together. The fire was quietly dying down, along with the old ghosts, all left in the past as the demon started to let go of the grudge fueling her heart.

Madama Flora finally reached the Umbran watch, gently pulling it with her right hand. Nero let out a long sigh of relief when the chain snapped and he was freed from the burden, happy to see the burning petals on his wings burned away and returned to its normal form. The headache was mostly gone, but faint voices and memories still lingered, which he dismissed as part of the location's effect.

"Fucking finally! I was starting to think this was permanent." The young man stretched his Devil Bringers to appreciate the light of the blue feathers, and almost flopped on the ground when the demon called for attention.

"You're running out of time kids, and as much as I'd like to keep Hummingbird for myself, I've embarrassed myself enough today. A decent devil likes keeps the end of her bargain."

With a dramatic finger snap, vines bloomed from the ground once more and rapidly grew their upwards. The dark sky began dissolving like clouds after a heavy rain, exposing the atmosphere of the real, infernal world. Above them, the lower floors of the chamber inside the real hill were barely seem, surrounded by a stardust of bricks and debris from the previous fight. Large pieces of the ancient structure fall dangerously close to their way out, a warning that their troubles were far from over.

While they were distracted looking at their escape rout, a beam of light suddenly flashed from beyond the sky and hit Madama Flora in the back. She blinked, staring at the large amount of blood and pieces spilling on the ground before trying to inspect her body with a left hand that didn't exist anymore. The left side of her torso was gone, vaporized in an instant. The injury accelerated the process of destruction of the hill, rapidly crumbling as the plants withered and darkened.

Crashing on the ground with a sloppy landing and violently scraping the burnt ground, the brute from the chamber managed to crawl from Inferno and reach the main stage. Its mangled body was bigger, bloated with patches made from pieces of the muses that also fell down, sewed with sharp feathers and displaying their cracked cores creeping on its skin, keeping an eye on every angle.

The brute was unceremoniously greeted by a shower of bullets, which were unceremoniously deflected by the brute's cracked shoulder guard and ricochet all around the area. Instead of dodging out of the way, Nero carelessly charged straight towards the brute and, with his Devil Bringers' strength, he grabbed an incoming hook and crushed its wrist.

At that point Bayonetta already expected the boy's recklessness, always trying to snatch the kill before her, but even then his aggression was notably excessive.

"I thought you said I had the main stage, and I don't like last second switches in the final act." She whimsically commented out of curiosity.

"Sorry, just had a really bad case of déjà vu." Nero gritted his teeth as he subtly glanced at the Madama Flora, who collapsed on the ground and soon began to sink along the entire hill. "And I need you to pick that woman for me, and I swear, no joke, I'll repay you somehow!"

"...You're lucky you didn't destroy my clothes earlier, Hummingbird."

Nero whispered something about taste in clothes while he was prying his prey open, searching for the real core, and the witch would've gone out of her way to interrupt the fight to hear his opinions if the hunter wasn't so busy, and brute didn't start ominously deforming with all the brutal attacks it kept receiving, stabbing the young hunter with sharp feathers.

Without much else to add, and not interest in provoking any further, Bayonetta exited the stage and quickly moved to where the poor unconscious woman was, still inside her happy little bubble. The few demons in the way were dispatched without her usual fanfare, focusing on getting over with the task, so when she reached the main fight a light show of laser beams, all coming from the several cores on the brute, gave her a hectic welcome. The witch dodged just in time, but as she prioritized the woman's safety, one of the attacks barely scraped the long hairs of her outfit, causing the guns she collected earlier, Rosette and Mayblossom, to fall on the ground and slid across the uneven terrain.

The brute melted and reformed, turning into a tall, slender warrior riding a chimera. It was a mockery of a knight that almost looked like a centaur, but unlike angels like Acceptance and Accolade, the resulting appearance was deceptively more demonic and grotesque, perhaps due to the faint hint of Infernal energy corrupting what was once a noble guardian from a sacred institute.

After the last pieces of stone found their place and settled in the new armor, the cores lit up and turned into a lightshow of lasers to announce its new form, wildly burning whatever it touched. Nero, who stood atop of the knight's arm in a futile attempt to stop the transformation, barely dodged the light aimed at his face and latched .

"That statue over there is the one hurting everyone's eyes and _I'm_ the gaudy one?" Bayonetta huffed. "Is this how you wish to die?"

Nero managed to keep himself on the knight by stabbing his sword into one of its wings, just to groan at the witch. "Yeah, yeah, you two can share fashion tips later, but I'd rather be done with my job before he starts strapping guns on his legs."

With the long nails of his own wings, Nero broke several cores in a couple of violent swings. The knight didn't seem affected, completely ignoring the hunter's existence and focusing on trying to crush Bayonetta under its feet. Whatever was left of the ground dissolved with all the stomps, prompting the witch to hop on the chimera's back and catch a ride as the enemy modify its body once more to take flight.

They continued the fight atop of the knight, who kept modifying its body to defend itself, losing height in the process and slowly sinking into Hell. Sharp feathers and beams of light turned the stone surface into a chaotic minefield, trying to shake off the small pests while hiding the real core from them.

As the last pieces of the hill disappeared, what remained from the vines that held the place together suddenly whipped up, wrapping around the knight's torso with enough strength to crack its sides. A loud voice echoed through the air, angry but also tired.

"The only thing worse than intruders are ugly, scandalous and _rude_ intruders." Madama Flora roared, demanding attention even though her body disappeared. "But I'm a generous host, and a party needs to end with a bang. I shall give one parting gift for everyone!"

The vines grew, branching frenetically around everyone. The knight disassembled its pieces to escape from the grip, snaking its way through the leaves. Pieces of stone and feathers slipped through Nero's grip and he lost his footing, but before could chase after his target the vines stopped him, creating a new support he could stand on and gently twisting around his waist. The plant did the same for Bayonetta, even freeing her hands by taking the woman with a giant leaf.

With a spark, a fiery flower bloomed beside them, offering them the late Umbra Witch Cassandra's guns that were dropped earlier, special bullets charged with a strong, wicked energy.

"Pardon my manners, some moron spilled a bit of red on my garments and I cannot be there myself..." The demon's voice echoed once again. "I'm sure you two can more than handle a couple of pebbles, but I want to end this my way."

Nero seemed hesitant, but picked the gun anyway. "These are your witch's mementos as well. Are you sure about this?"

"The watch is enough. I have to move on, and my heart can hold more memories than any collection in the world ever could. Besides, a weapon that gathers more dust than blood looks too sad to me."

After Madama Flora finished consoling herself with a soft laugh, the flowers flared once more before dying. Nero felt a small prickle in his right arm, feeling warm like the Umbran watch before, but much less intense and rancorous, it was almost longing.

"I'd like to play again, without all the baggage and the scars. Until next time."

While Nero looked down, staring at the abyss with a hint of pity in his eyes, a gun's barrel prodded his forehead in order to get his attention. Bayonetta suddenly appeared next to him, lounging on a branch like she was there from the beginning.

"We are not even done here and you already miss her?" She teased before changing to a more sympathetic tone. "She'll be fine, just being a little dramatic. A demon that can sign a powerful contract with a witch won't die with a little scratch."

Nero took a second to shake off his worries with a resigned, quiet laugh. Not wanting to drag those emotions any further, he hopped on the Umbra Witch's seat, using it as a spring to leap up and throwing its occupant off balance. Bayonetta looked mildly annoyed by the sudden move, until the boy look back at her with daring eyes, then readied his new toy at the mass of stones flying around them. To their surprise, the gun shot massive, incandescent beam light that split like branches and burned through the cores it touched. After recovering from the unexpected the recoil, Nero dared to propose a childish challenge.

"The one who hits the most targets wins!" He yelled, already zipping across the vines to get a head start.

Bayonetta didn't move, not convinced by the proposal. "And I'm going to win what? You already own me 'something' for helping your sorry ass, and I don't like cheap compensations."

"Did you say anything? Because I can only hear a chicken from up here!" Nero laughed obnoxiously, even flapping his wings to mock the witch.

"Brats these days, thinking they can talk whatever with impunity. Well, someone has to teach him some manners."

The dark, fake sky of the little Inferno was filled with light and fire everywhere, a show of needless chaos and careless destruction. Predictably, the small game quickly escalated into a petty competition, where both with and hunter started fighting and using dirty tricks on each other with little concern about the score. What remained of the knight tried its best to defend itself from a couple of bloodthirsty savages, but eventually it was reduced to dust, treated like a mere playground while being mercilessly shot and crushed until their Rosette and Mayblossom ran out of energy. Then, they began arguing over the score of the game.

* * *

Despite the cold night breeze irritating his sweat and dirt covered skin, Nero felt refreshed just by being back in the surface of the mundane human world. He sat under a tree, near the edge of the forest nearby and far from the festival, watching the dim lights and the blurry people moving around without care. The sun was already gone, leaving only a faded shade of orange in the clear, moonless sky, where even the stars were barely visible. It was like the night wanted to give the lilies the spotlight they deserved.

Even though he was sick of seeing that hill, Nero had to admit the blooming flowers didn't look bad when they weren't burning his back. The whole field was gradually filling with glowing spots, looking like candles floating in the shadows, slowly bouncing back and forth as the wind blew some of the petals away. Everyone seemed to have a pleasant and surprisingly eventful day judging by the loud noises in the distance, along with the staff stomping around in panic, busier than ever.

The ruckus was almost worth checking out if the hunter wasn't distracted by a large dog biting his sword's case and pulling his coat. Goliath was upset Nero wasn't giving him attention for the past minute and decided to entertain himself by testing the limits of his caretaker's patience, little by little. He almost achieved success if someone didn't appear behind them, interrupting the game with her extravagant self and demanding attention. She was dressed in a cheap, stereotypical witch costume, complete with an old, ugly hat, and a small artisanal decorated bag filled with nothing but lollipops, all sold in the festival and decorated with lily petals.

"Hummingbird, I see you're still doing some overtime. It better pay well, because I don't like being compensated with tasteless clothes." Bayonetta complained, wiping the dust off her dress.

"In this town? That's the best you'll get." Nero dismissed. "And I'm not working, just looking after the dog since animals can't get near the flowers."

Goliath barked to participate in the conversation and ran to greet the witch with his dirty paws and slob covered face, only to receive a warning glare and retreat with defeated whines. Nero pulled the dog and pat him in consolation, then turned his eyes towards the lilies, where the girl, Goliath's owner, was running around with other kids dressed as witches and knights. She stopped for a second to wave at them, giggling like a devil, and returned to her game.

"The little tyrant was lying all along, she was never lost and doesn't even have a brother! Now she tricked me into babysitting Goliath, saying he "got lost" around here. That was before I knew about the animal rule..."

"Hm, I see I underestimated her. She _does_ know how to handle her pets afterall." Bayonetta looked at the kids jumping on the field, petals flying like fire, before turning to her companion. "Is that why you missed the show you worked so hard to save? That lady was dying to see you, even though she wasn't aware of her own disappearance."

"After all this shit, I'm glad she was just drunk and I didn't have to make even more excuses." Nero sighed in relief, remembering how lucky he was that a couple of witnesses said the singer had a bad argument with her boyfriend in a bar, ran away with a bottle of wine and stopped by the chapel, where she probably wandered into the catacombs by chance, leaving herself vulnerable to a demon attack. "To be honest, I didn't think they would keep the show going, you know, with a giant plant in the middle of everything, so I didn't even check the schedule."

They both looked at the chapel, which partially skewered by a gigantic vine that grew from inside the old catacombs, destroying part of the roof and the small bell tower. It tall and vibrant, visible from everywhere in the town, and the old burn marks were replaced and the burn marks were replaced by the same energy that made the lilies glow. Even after making peace with the past, Madama Flora couldn't help but pull a small prank after she generously offered a quick ride back, and forced the vine to enter the human world. The chambers sunk further into Hell and the empty spaces were replaced with thick roots to keep the whole hill from collapsing.

Fortunately no one was hurt since the warning rumblings were felt from afar, and the gigantic leaves conveniently shielded the bystanders from the debris. The strange, beautiful sight, coupled with the enthusiasm from the viewers who thought it was part of the mystical nature of the event, were the reasons why the authorities didn't completely lose their minds and canceling the festival. In fact they were surprisingly positive, stating things that ranged from a "miracle" and a "profitable new attraction". The only one that didn't like it was the old priest, who was lamenting the ruined chapel and how the unique decorations were buried.

Nero almost had a conniption, rushing out of the scene with the woman in his arms with and pretending he just returned from a search in the woods. Bayonetta was satisfied with the conclusion of her quest, even though it was anti-climatic for her standards, and a bit disappointed that a fellow Umbra Witch wasn't alive afterall.

Bayonetta shrugged those thoughts away to return to the present. "I'm glad someone else agreed this place needed some make over."

"What?" Nero blinked.

"I like looking things from a brighter perspective, and after repaying my _kindness_ like this you should be thankful I'm not asking for your payment."

"I think the dress suits you. Now you look like you're ready to turn everyone into frogs-"

The witch didn't give him time to finish the lame joke, immediately shoving a lollipop in his mouth and was ready to leave the spot when Nero's  
arm sparked, reacting to the lily decoration on his candy. His palm twitched, materializing a small brooch that fell on the ground. It had the shape of a lily, though some details looked distorted with a demonic touch, and made entirely gold, almost glowing with a faint yellow energy.

Bayonetta picked it up before the dog could eat it. "Feels like Madama Flora. Your arm really likes stealing a lady's accessories, huh?"

"What- No! She gave me this before saying goodbye." Nero snatched the brooch back, with his left arm, and put it in his pocket. "After I finished my job, I felt this thing in my arm, then I felt her asking me for something... She said that if anything exciting happens, I should call her. You didn't get one of these?"

"No, she knew I couldn't accept it." Bayonetta glanced at the ground, where Madama Butterfly's wings fluttered. "I already have a partner, and she doesn't like sharing the spotlight."

"She's probably worried her new life will get boring. Either way, I know someone who's really interested in meeting new demons, and I'm sure they'll get along." Nero tried to smile, but he couldn't help but be worried with the possibilities. "I just hope she knows how to hold back here, it wouldn't be good for business if gigantic trees starts popping- Oh no, what the hell did I just get into..."

"You can still refuse it. This isn't a contract or anything that requires commitment."

"I know, I just want to keep an eye on her." Nero explained, half-hearted, and looked at the plant with pity. "Spending centuries locked in her own world, being angry at your own misery without realizing everyone moved on... It must be exhausting."

"Demons like her lived for thousands of years. It may take a day or a decade, but she'll recover from her loss." Bayonetta reassured sympathetically.

"Can't really imagine since I'm a mere mortal... But a day might feel like a whole century depending on how you live through it."

"Having another case of déjà vu, Hummingbird?"

"Nah. Just thinking to distract me from this sugar rush."

Nero stood up in a rather sudden and impolite fashion, cutting the conversation short. He lazily stretched his arms and called Goliath, who was glad to follow, and both went into the lily field's entrance.

"Leaving so soon?" Bayonetta asked, not moving from her spot. "The night is young."

"Gotta get this dog back to his owner because I still have to patrol the forest nearby. My partner called earlier saying a couple of demons were found roaming around." Nero explained as he tossed a small wooden card to the witch. "Here. They gave me a token to get stuff for free in the festival. Maybe you'll find a better hat to go with your new dress."

"Think you'll get rid of me that easily?"

"Yes. And I hope I never have to deal with you or any other witch ever again!" Nero scoffed, already farther away with stiff and fast steps.

Bayonetta didn't respond, making a mental note to visit the forest after picking all the sweets she wanted. She then noticed another card, made of paper, stuck in the decorated borders of the wooden one. It was a black business card with the words "Devil May Cry" printed on it, with a phone number crudely scribbled on the back.

"Charmless brat, but I suppose being a decent flirt is less important than making an impression nowadays." She mumbled to herself.

They slowly parted ways for the time being. The devil hunter walked near the lilies, playing with the petal that flew in his direction. The Umbra Witch gave the card one last look, judgemental eyes burning the tacky logo, and tucked it inside her purse before disappearing into the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, Bayonetta decided she deserved a better reward so Nero was forced to work as her contracted demon and collect halos for a weekend.
> 
>   
> The end.
> 
> It's kinda embarrassing, but my main inspiration wasn't even a desire to make a crossover between two different characters, it was when one day I read about the meaning of flowers, and I found out about [orange lilies](https://www.floraqueen.com/blog/the-truth-about-the-orange-lily-meaning) . They can range from confidence, honor and pride, but also hatred and disdain. Of course, these can change, and flowers can mean anything we want, or nothing really, plus I don't think plants care about what we think.  
> I guess I just want to say that inspiration is wacky and it can come from anywhere. Maybe some weird ass trivia can help you just like it helped me.  
> Thanks for reading, everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you didn't mind the style shifting through the fic, or the rather unorganized page. Like I said, it's just an exercise and I'm still testing stuff.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


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